China sets up smart court system: blue paper

China has established the smart court system based on advanced technologies
to help modernize trials and improve judicial capacity, according to a blue
paper on courts' information application released on Feb 7 in Beijing.

In 2017, China made big progress in the use of big data and judicial data
sharing, streamlined online administration, making judicial process information
open to the public and providing comprehensive intelligent services, relying on
information technology, said the report publicized by the Chinese Academy of
Social Sciences' Institute of Law.

Xu Jianfeng, director of the information center of the Supreme People’s
Court, speaks at a seminar unveiling the blue paper on smart courts on Feb 7 in
Beijing. [Photo by Jiang Xingguang/chinadaily.com.cn]

“Smart court construction has achieved great progress at the current stage,”
said Xu Jianfeng, director of the information center of the Supreme People’s
Court (SPC), at a seminar unveiling the blue paper.

As part of the smart court system, China's national database of legal
documents, the biggest in the world, included information on 122 million legal
cases, more than 6 million trial records and 240,000 items of judicial personnel
data as of the end of 2017.

Xu cited the example of the internet court in Hangzhou of East China's
Zhejiang province to explain how the system works effectively and increases
judicial credibility.

China's first internet court began operations on Aug 18, 2017 in Hangzhou.
The new system allows people to register and submit legal documents online,
including evidence. Meanwhile, a small number of commercial cases can be heard
via an internet platform.

Chen Su, director of the Institute of Law, the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences, said smart court construction was included in the national information
development strategy. The SPC has, so far, released several guidelines and set
up relevant standards on smart courts.

In addition, the report put forward suggestions on how smart court
construction can be further improved in 2018, including improving data sharing
across different departments in the court sector, and the integration of
technology and judicial practices.